Acquaintance with the Devil's Advocate
by Xll
Summary: "All you need to do is to accept me... For what I am."
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes: New idea for a story. Hope you guys like it. Please read and review as usual. Thanks. **

**PROLOGUE**

It was 2pm in the afternoon and the bell had just rung. Everyone in college were either going for their co-curricular activities or were on their way out of school, going home or out to chill with friends and peers.

The sun was bright and the skies were cloudy. The wind ran through her long silky pink hair as 17 year old Sakura sat on the bench underneath the shades of a huge sturdy oak tree, staring blankly out to the empty soccer field that stood before her.

She couldn't comprehend who Sasuke was at all. He had become a person that she barely knew of. He had always reminded her not to tell anyone that both of them were in a relationship. He said, 'making it known to everyone won't do us anything good at all.'

_(An hour earlier ago before school ended)_

"_Sakura, your assignment is up ahead at the front desk. Please go get it yourself. Don't expect anyone to pass it to you." Karin, a girl with long thick hair and black rimmed specs that sat behind Sakura, said rudely to her._

_Karin had always been making things difficult for Sakura in any possible way she deemed fit. The reasons behind it being she had the best results in their whole cohort each year and the next would be Karin had caught Sakura staring at Sasuke far too many times. Karin loathed it. She hated that idea of Sakura liking Sasuke. Or should one say that Karin felt threatened by her?_

_Sakura nodded slightly to acknowledge Karin's words and went ahead to get her assignment. After getting her assignment, Sakura went back to her desk and was about to sit down and 'BAMM!" _

_Sakura fell onto the floor, tears coming out from the corner of her eyes from the pain with her hand clasping to her back. Apparently, Karin had pulled her chair further back away when Sakura was about to sit down._

_Karin giggled and remarked, "Brains for study with reflexes of a retard."_

_Several classmates laughed, while others turned back, giggling away. _

"_Are you okay?" A fellow classmate, Hinata rushed to Sakura and helped her up. Sakura looked up at Sasuke who witnessed the whole commotion from his desk, hoping that he would at least ask if she's fine or not._

_To her disappointment, Sasuke looked away from her and continued doing whatever he was busy with. _

_While others are still giggling and laughing at her misery, Sakura winced as she got up with the help of Hinata. "Do you need me to get you to the hospital wing? It's better to let the Doctor take a look." _

"_I'm fine." Sakura replied flatly as she sat down on her chair, this time round, checking that the chair is in place before she sat down._

_(End of flashback)_

A series of laughter brought Sakura back to reality from her thoughts. She looked behind from her bench only to see several of her classmates with Karin and Sasuke on their way back out from school. Karin threw her a dirty look as she walked passed while Sasuke just walked on without even looking back at her.

Sakura felt wretched and stupid inside. So what if she had worked hard for good grades to attain a better future? In the end, not only was she an orphan still who lives all alone, she was also being taken for granted as if she was non-existent by someone whom she thought loves her.

At this point of time, her mobile vibrated. She took a look at it only to see it was a message sent by Sasuke. "I'm sorry for today. Hope you're not hurt. See you tomorrow." The message read.

After reading, the hurt felt so intense that she cried. Beads of tears pouring down from her emerald eyes as she muttered in between her sobs, saying, "What am I exactly to you?..."

Little did she know, watching her from a distance was someone with dull orange hair and emerald eyes like Sakura had. He knew everything about her. Every single thing that happened to her.

"I'll put an end to your misery. All you need to do is to accept me…" He whispered, looking at her longingly.

"For what I am…"

**END OF PROLOGUE**

**CHAPTER ONE**

Sasuke sat from his table and looked over to Sakura after making sure no one was noticing. It seemed that Sakura had completely ignored Sasuke's presence. Her aura somewhat cold and lifeless. Sasuke knew this time round, she's really upset. But Sasuke didn't care much. Anyway, this had happened before. All it's going to take would be a few days of cold treatment from Sakura and she would be fine.

Just as their school bell for the first lesson had rung, their form teacher, Hatake Kakashi, stepped into the class and gestured for everyone to settle down.

He cleared his throat and cast his lazy eyes at his class. "Alright class, starting from today, there will be a new student with us." Upon hearing this, everyone began muttering and whispering. Some were excited, some were less enthusiastic. For Sakura, she can't be bothered with whoever that's coming in. Her mind was too occupied with her own emotional problems than to care whatever that's happening.

"Come in please." Kakashi called out as he glanced out towards the main door.

A tall, young and pale man with dark navy trousers and blazer that he wore over his white shirt came in. His left hand kept in his pocket while his right hand carried his black leather bookcase. He stood beside Kakashi and nodded lightly.

"I'm Sasori. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance." He said monotonously as his emerald eyes scanned around the classroom.

And he saw Sakura.

There were whispers and squeals of excitement among the female students. For the boys, some were ignoring his existence, some were neutral.

"That's it? Your introduction?" Kakashi asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I have nothing else more to talk about…" Sasori shrugged.

"Alright then. You can sit beside-" Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, Sasori interrupted him. "If it's ok, I would like to sit beside Ms Sakura." He requested politely.

Kakashi gave him a questioning look the moment Sasori brought up the request. To add on, the atmosphere in the class changed instantly. There were looks of envy and mutterings about. Sakura was still deep in thoughts, not realizing how many people were actually staring at her and Sasori.

"She's your top student right?" Sasori asked Kakashi politely again as if to answer everyone's unsounded query about how Sasori knew Sakura. Only then, the suspicious mutterings toned down and replaced with several sighs of relief.

"Go ahead and take a seat." Kakashi replied casually, though he still felt kind of suspicious about Sasori's knowledge of Sakura. "We'll start with lesson."

Sasori bowed lightly and walked towards the empty seat beside Sakura and sat down. Only then, Sakura noticed Sasori's presence. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Sasori." Sasori smiled warmly at Sakura with his hand stretched out towards her.

"He seemed nice…" Sakura thought. "Nice to meet you too." She replied with a small smile and shook his hand.

"I'm Sai." Sasori turned to his right to see a tall fair guy with dark ebony hair greeted him with a smile. "Sasori here." Sasori returned Sai's friendly gesture with a smile and a firm handshake. As Sasori sat down between them, Sai whispered over to Sakura. "Hey, that book totally works!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at Sai. "Oh shut up Sai. You don't really need books for such things do you?" Though feeling puzzled about what they're talking about, Sasori didn't ask or probe further. He was more occupied thinking about something else.

"It's a good beginning..." He thought, maintaining his usual nonchalant look.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. As much as he would like to, he couldn't deny the fact that he felt angry on the inside. He disliked Sasori and he loathed him sitting beside Sakura. He hated the idea of what Sasori is up to base on his intuition.

At that very moment, Sasori turned his head up and looked across to Sasuke. When their eyes met, something felt so strange. Sasuke felt warm and uneasy on the inside.

"No need for wild thoughts… Since you're not cherishing her, I will." A voice spoke inside Sasuke's thoughts. Sasuke jerked up, continued to stare at Sasori in shock. His mind was left completely blank. Did he really heard a voice in him or was he just imagining things?

Sasori smirked and turned his head to the front, facing the blackboard.

"That's right… I can read your thoughts…" He whispered softly.

**END OF CHAPTER ONE**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Sasuke couldn't concentrate the whole day in class. His mind still in confusion about the voice he heard earlier. "What is going on? It's all too clear… I'm sure it's there…" He thought. His eyes often wander and sat their gaze on the newcomer. His eyes just can't seem to leave Sasori. "Who exactly is he?"

Just then the school bell rung, and brought Sasuke back from his pool of thoughts. He decided to not think about the incident earlier and began packing his backpack. "Maybe I'm thinking too much…" He muttered as he put his textbooks in his bag neatly.

"Thinking about?" Someone asked.

Sasuke looked up to see the owner of the voice that just spoke.

It was Sasori.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the guy that had emerald eyes like Sakura does. "What is it?" He asked calmly with a certain note of intensity. "Whatever I'm thinking about is none of your business I presume?" He added.

"What if I said, whatever you heard earlier in _YOUR MIND_ was true? Would it still be that case?" Sasori asked again softly with a smile that Sasuke wished he could tear that instant. Sasuke couldn't help but felt anger tingle his veins, his hands clenched into fists. "Anyway, to clear your doubt… That indeed was me… And…"

Sasori went forward and narrowed the distance between their faces.

"I meant it." Sasori finished his sentence with his notorious smile.

Sasuke couldn't keep his cool anymore. He grabbed Sasori by his collar with both of his hands and pulled him towards him. "Repeat that again bastard." Sasuke seethed angrily.

Several girls in the class screamed. Some stood rooted to the ground speechless. "Oh my God." Sakura found herself saying in shock. This was her first time seeing Sasuke so agitated to the extent that he was ready to beat someone up. To make things worse, the one that Sasuke was about to beat up is a new guy that just transferred over from some other college.

"Hey, I was just trying to say hi that's all." Sasori claimed, raising both of his hands in the air.

"Fucking bastard!"

Sasuke threw a heavy punch across Sasori's face. Sasori fell backwards and crashed into the tables behind him before hitting the ground. Blood oozed from the corner of Sasori's lips as he sat on the ground, recovering from the shock he had just received. Sasuke advanced towards Sasori, ready to trash him up when Karin and several guys in class rushed to him and held him back.

"Sasuke-kun, nothing is going to help even if you beat him up! Keep cool!" Karin begged as Sasuke struggled to free himself.

"Shut up and let go off me!" Sasuke yelled, fighting tooth and nail from the grip of his classmates.

"No, YOU SHUT UP!" Sakura screamed loudly.

Shock came one after another. First, Sasuke who had always kept his cool wanted to beat someone up today. Secondly, Sakura who had always kept quiet about most things actually screamed out loud. Everyone's attention in class has been diverted to both of them.

Sasuke fell silent the moment Sakura screamed at him. This was the very first time Sakura ever told him off in such a manner.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked out of concern as she rushed forward and helped Sasori up. "Sai, what are you standing rooted down there for? Come and help him up." Sakura shot at Sai. "Oh- okay…" Sai stuttered before he rushed forward to help Sasori too.

"I'm fine… Really… It's okay…" Sasori replied, trying to smile while wincing in pain.

"Fine, suit yourself." Sasuke retorted angrily, pulling his arms away from his classmates. He grabbed his backpack and left the classroom in a huff with Karin hurrying behind him calling out, "Sasuke-kun, wait for me!"

Sakura watched Sasuke left with a mixture of anger and disappointment. But she couldn't be bothered that much anymore. "Let's go Sasori. Let's go home together with Sai." She remarked softly.

"Okay…"

As they walked out of the school gates, Sakura apologized softly on Sasuke's behalf. "I'm so sorry Sasori… He's usually not like that…"

Sasori stopped walking upon hearing that. "Why apologize on his behalf? Anyway, I'm not angry about it. It's just a misunderstanding. No worries." He replied cheerfully, as he turned facing Sakura.

Sakura nodded slightly. "Thanks Sasori…" She whispered with her head bend low.

"Hey Sakura, are you crying?" Sai asked in bewilderment.

"I'm fi-fine…" She managed to say. Her tears began welling up in her eyes and flow down her cheeks endlessly. The more she tried to stop, the more she cried. She hung her head low to avoid letting these 2 guys seeing her in such a vulnerable state. She couldn't control how upset she felt.

Sai thought he was caught in a fix and was about to open his mouth and say something when Sasori stopped him. Sai looked at him with a questioning look. "Allow me." Sasori mouthed his words softly.

"Sakura, look at me please?" Sasori asked gently, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Sasori just- just leave me a-alone for a-awhile pl-please…" Sakura stuttered in between her sobs, still with her head bend low. "I d-don't want t-to let y-you all see m-me like th-this…"

Just this moment, Sasori lifted her chin up with his fingers and made her face him. That totally caught Sakura off guard in surprise. Sai stood with his jaws dropped.

Sasori reached for his handkerchief and carefully wiped her tears away. "There, much better. Keep the handkerchief. It's clean. Use it when you need to." Sasori smiled, gently holding her hand in his and put the handkerchief on her hand with the other.

"Erm… Sasori…" Sakura begun, apparently a little shocked, still holding Sasori's belonging in her hand.

"C'mon you two." Sasori gestured for them to continue and follow him instead of standing down there in the middle of the street as he walked ahead of them.

Sakura felt really comforted. They barely knew each other and had only gotten to know just a few hours ago. Yet he showed her more concern than most people she knew. "Thanks Sasori…" She thought.

"Right, coming!" Sakura replied happily as she dried her tears, keeping Sasori's handkerchief carefully in her bookcase. "Sai, hurry up!"

"Oh.. okay." Sai replied and followed Sakura hurriedly behind.

….

Sasori sat in his Victorian armchair staring at his fireplace while sipping red wine from his wine glass. Occasionally, he would start smiling to himself, remembering everything that happened that very day.

"Is there a need for you to go that extent for that prey?"

Sasori looked up to see his 'housemate' carrying an unconscious lady in his arms.

"Correction. She's not my prey." Sasori pointed out, still smiling as he sipped.

"Enlighten me then." He asked with a mocking attitude.

Sasori tapped his forehead, "Let me see… What do these people call it nowadays?...Ah, I remembered. My love interest." He replied.

"That's corny. No, I mean seriously. What's all those theatrics for?"

"I told you, you won't believe. What else can I do?"

He rolled his eyes at Sasori and began walking off in an opposite direction down the candle-lit hallway with the lady in his arms. "Where are you going then? Done with her? That was fast." Sasori asked loudly, still glued comfortably to his armchair.

"I'm straight to the point unlike you. I'm sending her back to where she lives." His partner in crime retorted.

"Tell me pretending to not know how to make friends and depending on a book to do it is being straight to the point." Sasori taunted with his notorious smile.

"Whatever you say dude."

As his mate opened the huge wooden doors and was about to leave, Sasori called out again.

"Remember to clear those marks and her memory, Sai."

"How many have we been in this together? If I'm not wrong, 3 centuries?" Sai replied sarcastically before closing the doors behind him and leapt off into the night.

**END OF CHAPTER TWO**

Author's note: Hope it's not disappointing. Haha… RnR please! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Sakura woke up early next morning with mixed feelings. She couldn't stop thinking about the things that happened before. The fight between Sasuke and Sasori and her screaming at Sasuke out loud for the first time in history...

"I'm so dead..." Sakura muttered with her head hung helplessly as she stood in front of the bedroom mirror, brushing her long silky hair.

"How am I going to apologize to him?..." She continued muttering sadly. "But wait a minute... I'm not even at fault here! He should be the one to apologize to me!" Her inner thoughts argued irritably.

"Should I make the first move or should I not?... I think I should... I shouldn't have yelled at him..."

"Definitely NO. Should not!" Her inner self screamed.

"Argh! Whatever! I don't care anymore!" Sakura finally screamed out loud, slamming the hair brush on the dressing table before she left stomping out of her room with her bookcase.

Sakura put on her shoes and was about to leave her house when the doorbell rang. "Who could it be this early in the morning?" She wondered. "Coming!" She called out loud to the visitor as she hurried over to open the door.

"Morning." The visitor smiled warmly.

"Sasori! How do you know I'm staying here?" Sakura asked in surprised.

"I have my ways." He chuckled softly. "Anyway, there you go, I brought you breakfast. Onigiri and warm soya milk." Sasori smiled, holding a brown paper bag in his hand that stretched out towards her.

Sakura gave him a bewildered look. "First I see you at my house and now you brought me my favourite breakfast that I don't remember myself mentioning to you about."

"Let's just put it as I'm full of pleasant surprises." Sasori dismissed her statement with a cheery face, as he held her by her wrist and pulling her out of the house. "Let's eat as we stroll to school."

Sakura giggled and followed his lead, leaving her house with a good start of the day.

"What a bitch..." Karin hissed with her eyes fixated on a certain moving object. Sasuke looked in the direction where she was looking and found unmistakable anger building up in him. He saw Sakura and Sasori walking into the school together while talking and laughing. He hated Sakura with him.

He hated even more when Sakura seemed so happy with him around.

"Did you feel it?" Sasori whispered softly to Sakura, suddenly tensed up in posture. "Feel what?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

"Someone is glaring at us with a hatred so intense that I'm kind of surprised you don't feel anything." Sasori replied matter-of-factly. Sakura looked around and her eyes met with Sasuke.

Sakura broke the eye contact the moment their eyes met and looked away briefly. Sakura wanted to avoid the topic and run away from the reality that has been weighing her down all the time. Even if it just mean escaping while things remained unsolved. She would rather hide than feel the pain. "Sorry... I'm such a loser... I don't even have the courage to talk to you anymore..." Sakura thought sadly as she continued walking along with Sasori.

"You're just being you. Don't worry I'm here." Sasori smiled and placed a reassuring arm on her shoulders. "Don't let anyone take the smile away from you okay?"

"Thanks Sasori.. You seemed to know me better than anyone else.." Sakura struggled with a weak smile. As much as she wants to hide, the pain seemed to creep back to her.

This whole scene fuelled Sasuke's anger and anxiousness further. First this weird kid interferes and now Sakura's behaviour had changed so much that he barely know of. Sasuke's eyes narrowed on Sasori and swore silently that he would definitely get back at him for what he had done.

Sakura and Sasori walked and entered the class, seeing Sai seated at his place with a bored look. "Morning Sai..." Sakura greeted her friend with a smile when suddenly she realized something was amissed.

"Oh my God, what happened to your eyes? Your scelra is so red that I can hardly differentiate if your pupils are there! Are you having sore eyes?" Sakura exclaimed, holding Sai's face with her hands and making him face her.

"Sakura I'm fine really..." Sai began awkwardly, unable to turn his head while Sakura cupped his face firmly with her hands. "Have you seen a doctor? It looks quite bad. I seriously think it's sore eyes." Sakura questioned with a concerned and anxious look. "Erm... It isn't. They said it's because I strained my eyes too much. But it doesn't hurt." Sai lied in the most innocent tone possible. "Are you sure?" Sakura eyed him with a questioning look. "Ya." He replied, trying to maintain his innocent tone with great difficulty especially when Sakura is eyeing him this close. "Alright then... if it hurts, you should see the doctor." Sakura gave up and let go of him although she was still unconvinced with Sai's statement.

Sai heaved a small sigh of relief as Sakura settled down in between Sasori and Sai, preparing herself for class to start when Sasori started conversing with Sai with his thoughts.

"You lucky bastard." Sasori swore.

"Oh... You're jealous that she held my face earlier? Or was it the concern she gave me?" Sai replied sacarstically.

"Shut up. I'm talking about going overboard with your prey and your stupid eyes as a result." Sasori retorted.

"Oh c'mon... I know you're jealous... but she held your hand when you guys came to school together right? Try to be contented mate." Sai teased, enjoying every minute of pissing Sasori off.

Sasori and Sai were engaging in their war of thoughts, cursing and swearing at each other that they weren't paying attention that the class had quietened down with a new teacher stepping in.

The teacher scanned his eyes across the classroom and briefly cleared his throat. "If you guys don't mind, I would appreciate that you both will continue your bickering thoughts after my lesson."

That very comment snapped both Sai and Sasori back to reality instantly and they turned to see who was it. The class started muttering with puzzled looks, "What's wrong with him? No one is talking at all..." Sakura felt nonplussed with the teacher's statement too.

"He's weird..." A fellow classmate muttered underneath his breath to Karin.

"But he's good looking..." Karin replied dreamily, suddenly forgetting about Sasuke in that instant.

"He's my older brother." Sasuke interrupted gingerly from behind them.

He was dressed in a white collar shirt with black tuxedo pants and black leather shoes. His hair was tied casually back in a pony tail with his fringe falling into the right places. "My name is Uchiha Itachi. I'll be in charge of your Arts classes as of today. If there is any help you need, please do not hesitate to approach me." He introduced himself with an expressionless face and monotonous tone.

Sasori blocked his thoughts the moment he saw Itachi, tore a piece of paper out, scribbled on it and threw the note at Sai.

Sai picked the note up and it read, "Trouble. Its the troublesome half blood."

END OF CHAPTER 3 RnR please! 


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